Just a few days after the celebration of Christmas, the light of Bethlehem is eclipsed and the dark shadows of life return to the stories of young Jesus. Tucked between Christmas Day and the Feast of Epiphany (January 6), the Massacre of Infants/Innocents or Slaughter of Innocents is remembered. In the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopalian and other Protestant traditions, this tragic moment in the biblical story is recalled on December 28; the Orthodox tradition sets aside December 29 as a... Read more

Writing a book often elicits unexpected comments. One of my recent books is entitled THE MYSTIC IN YOU: DISCOVERING A GOD-FILLED WORLD. I realize that’s a big claim, that everyone has a mystic sense. Folks I know protest, “Me, a mystic? I don’t spend a lot of time praying and haven’t had any dramatic encounters with God. Religion isn’t even that important to me.” I always agree with such confessions, but then add, based on my own theological perspective, that... Read more

It was just a few days before Christmas, when they came to the church door. Joseph and Diane. A couple down on their luck. To prove he was worthy of our church’s support, Joseph told me their story. He had been a carpenter but was between jobs. They had just been told to leave the boarding house where they were staying, and because Joseph and Diane’s father were odds with one another, they couldn’t return home to Falmouth. They’d struggled... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday after Christmas Day – December 30, 2018 I Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Psalm 148 Colossians 3:12-17 Luke 2:41-52 This Sunday the key words are found in the descriptions of Jesus’ “growing in wisdom and stature.” As Christ’s followers, these words are also addressed to us. We too need to grow larger more inclusive selves to more fully follow Jesus. We need to remember, as Iranaeus asserted, “the glory of God is a fully alive... Read more

For many years, I have taught courses in seminary and church on the healings of Jesus. At some point in the courses, the question of suffering and God’s limits to respond to pain and death arises. Often my students, including sophisticated pastors and seminarians, stumble over the issue of divine power. For some, the idea that God cannot cure cancer or heart disease is an anathema. I am bounding on heresy when I speak about multi-factorial causes that appear to... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 23, 2018 Matthew 5:2-52, Psalm 80:1-7, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-55 Christmas is on the horizon, and today’s scriptures may be lost amid the merriment as well as the Christmas pageants, often scheduled the week before Christmas. There is hope on the horizon and this hope is especially powerful among those who are oppressed, grieving, or living in uncertainty as they look toward the future. We experience hope that injustice will... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Third Sunday of Advent – December 16, 2018 Zephaniah 3:14-20 Isaiah 12:2-6 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18 This Sunday we celebrate joy. We light the third, pink Advent Candle and celebrate the joy of relationship with God, each other, and the wonder of creation. Yet, this joy must come in the waiting. The joy we seek is not born of immediate gratification, but the ongoing encounter with an intimate God who has plans for us –... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday of Advent – December 9, 2018 Malachi 3:1-4 Luke 1:68-79 Philippians 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6 “Are we there yet?” beg the children in the midst of a long automobile trip. “How much time left?” we ask as we prepare for an important occasion. “When are things going to change?” persons living with daily injustices and indignities plead. Advent is a season that joins patience and restlessness. We are waiting and waiting isn’t easy, whether... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday in Advent – December 2, 2018 Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalm 25:1-10 I Thessalonians 3:9-13 Luke 21:25-36 How do we feel as we look toward the future? Do we see continuity or discontinuity? Do we expect gradual evolution or cataclysmic change? Is the future filled with hope and fear, or a mixture? Today’s scriptures suggest s multiplicity of possibilities, and whether the result of our own actions, divine-human companionship, or unilateral divine action, the future... Read more